May 22, 2016

Special Correspondent | The corny movie review by Navin

There are certain movies where you go because you are 'lured' by the poster/trailer. Special Correspondent is a movie that will rank at the Top 5 of such a list.This movie is about how a fading radio journalist and his technician fakes being kidnapped and stranded in war-torn country in Ecuador (Gee! no surprises there) and how they finally bring the entire drama to a 'logical' end.

There are some parts which are genuinely witty but huge parts of the movie where you just want to bludgeon the actors (or yourself for watching) with whatever you have in your hands. Ricky Gervais (known for his role as the stuck up Museum director in the 'A Night At The Museum' franchise) took what is a fantastic story, hired some really good comic talent and then forgot to mould the film into a worthy comic masterpiece. There are so many loose ends, untied sub-plots and technical inaccuracies that you are left wondering what really happened to the scriptwriter. This is a movie that is made for people who don't know how international diplomacy works or how volatile certain South American countries really are. There are parts in the movie where I was chuckling in anticipation of what could come later in the movie but nothing that could have made this movie great really happens.Special Correspondent is neither a Dumb and Dumber nor a Hot Shots. Eric Bana and Ricky Gervais, are both incredibly talented actors. They do show sparkes of exquisite comic timing but after a while, you begin to see a pattern. Eric's character is either berating Ricky's character or seconding his devious plans. Blah!The plot is wafer thin and like a badly made vegetable soup is something you chuck down the recycle bin of your mind. Midway through the movie, I couldn't bear to sit anymore and wanted to fling myself off the roof of the same cafe they were hiding. Now, don't get me wrong. I liked the plot, but I really think it deserved better direction. Like a carnival, there is a lot going on and by the time it is over, you are neither satisfied nor looking for more. Would I recommend it? Gosh! How do I put it lightly? This is a movie you watch on an idle Wednesday afternoon when you're bored out of your effing mind. Modern movie-goers don't deserve to be conned by what turns out to be a very long episode of an improv skit on Saturday Night Live.Watch it for the mindless gags and side references to (Columbian) drug wars. My rating: 5What does the rating mean? 0-4 : Not worth your presence in the same zip code as the TV/Theater.5-7 : Err... the movie is pretty, but it's definitely missing something. A storyline, that is.8-10: 'Drop-the-dishes, stop-the-sex, jaw-dropping, that-is-incredible' 2 hours of movie experience